ANAHEIM – When Mark Trumbo faced Baltimore Orioles right-hander Miguel Gonzalez last July, the fourth-inning homer he pushed to right-center on an inside fastball ended up being a reference point he went back to many times in the season's final months.

When Trumbo faced Gonzalez on Friday night at Angel Stadium, the first pitch he saw was a fastball in a similar location, and he swatted it directly into the grass berm behind the left-field fences for another home run – his fourth in five nights.

It wasn't quite as notable, because he didn't stay far back enough on the 92 mph four-seamer to hit it to right, but it was nice all the same, because it was all the offense the Angels needed in support of a masterful Jason Vargas in a 4-0 win.

"It's a good sign when I'm driving the ball like that," Trumbo said.

It's also a good sign when Vargas allows just five baserunners in a three-hitter, the Angels' first shut out of the season – and when Trumbo and outfielder Mike Trout are stacking homers on top of each other.

After Trout's two-run shot in the fifth, also off Gonzalez, the Angels are now 9-1 when both young sluggers have homered over the past two seasons.

Flanking Albert Pujols in the lineup, the homegrown hitters drove in all four of the Angels' runs – with Trout also bringing in the newly activated Alberto Callaspo on a single to left in the seventh.

Vargas made quick work of Baltimore, literally. At 2 hours, 15 minutes, it was the shortest game yet for the Angels this season, helped along by Vargas' pitch-to-contact strategy.

He struck out only three and walked two, scattering the three hits in the fifth, seventh and ninth innings. Utilizing sharp infield defense, Vargas induced 15 groundouts – five more than he had in any other start this season.

"Jason was spectacular," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "When he has a chance to put hitters away, he's making a pitch."

Vargas hadn't thrown a scoreless start since Aug. 5, 2011, also at Angel Stadium – against the Angels as a Seattle Mariner.

But, like the rest of the Angel starting pitchers, he's been getting visibly better with each start. That's not a coincidence, according to Vargas' skipper. That's a sign pitching coach Mike Butcher and catcher Chris Iannetta are growing to understand the team's three new starters, Scioscia believes.

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